Video streaming, data streaming, and broadband digital broadcast programming is increasing in popularity in network applications. One system currently in use in Europe and elsewhere world-wide is Digital Video Broadcast (DVB) which provides capabilities for delivering data in addition to televisual content. The Advanced Television Systems Committee (ATSC) has also defined a digital broadband broadcast network. Both ATSC and DVB use a containerization technique in which content for transmission is placed into MPEG-2 packets serving as data containers which can be used to transport suitably digitized data including, but not limited to, High Definition television, multiple channel Standard Definition television such as PAL/NTSC and SECAM, and broadband multimedia data and interactive services. Transmitting and receiving such programming usually requires that the equipment utilized be powered up continuously so as to be able to send or receive all the streaming information. However, in the current state of the art, power consumption levels, especially in the front end of a digital broadcast receiver or mobile terminal, are relatively high and need to be reduced to improve the operating efficiency of the broadcasting equipment.
What is needed is a system and method for more efficiently utilizing efficiently using data broadcasting resources for transmitting and receiving functions.